Two things are for sure. We do not choose the fact that we are born and we do not choose the fact that we are all going to die. When a person is suffering from an illness or disease that cannot be cured, palliative care helps the person to focus on living as well as possible with the illness, until the end. The focus moves away from curing the disease and towards the physical, psycho-social, emotional and spiritual needs of the person. Palliative care is available to anyone with a life-limiting illness, such as dementia, chronic conditions and degenerative conditions – not just cancer patients.

A palliative focus can help a person to reflect on what is truly important to them and how they would like to spend the rest of their life. Many different health professionals can provide palliative care depending on the needs of the individual: GPs, specialist palliative care doctors and nurses, other specialist doctors like oncologists and cardiologists, allied health professionals, social workers and counsellors. For palliative care services in your area of South Australia, please click here. Usually, these health professionals communicate and collaborate to provide the best experience possible for both the person and their family.

The team can provide palliative care in a hospital, aged care facility, hospice or at home. Many people who are dying, prefer to be cared for at home, yet in Australia, as I learned today at the Palliative Care Conference, only 14% of people actually die at home (which does not include those in a residential aged care facility, which of course is also a person’s home). To die at home, in the community, requires a huge commitment from a family or friend who will be predominately caring for their loved one. It really does depend on how sick the person is and their needs. A strong support network of trusted individuals is often needed at this very difficult time.

Looking after a person who is dying can be extremely rewarding. A strong spiritual connection and social bond can develop. However it can also be scary, emotionally draining and sometimes you may not know what to do. If you are looking after someone at home and need further support, that won’t cost any money, please click here.

If you would like to expand your way of thinking and influence your views on aging and death, please read Atul Gawande’s book, Being Mortal. One of the greatest physician writers, his writing is wise and deeply moving. I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes from this text:

“Our reverence for independence takes no account of the reality of what happens in life: sooner or later, independence will become impossible. Serious illness or infirmity will strike. It is as inevitable as sunset”.